If the UFC heavyweight division were a reality show, it would be called “Keeping Up with the Heavyweights” – and Jon Jones would be the star who never quite shows up to the reunion episode.
Who’s the Real King? Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, and Francis Ngannou’s Heavyweight Drama
Let’s set the stage: Jon Jones, the reigning UFC heavyweight champ, is the king of trolling both on social media and in the octagon. Tom Aspinall, the British interim champ, has been holding his “temporary” belt for so long that he’s set a UFC record for the longest interim reign – over 530 days and counting, which is basically a UFC eternity. And then there’s Francis Ngannou, the lineal UFC heavyweight champion who moonlights as the PFL kingpin and is apparently open to a UFC return, just to spice things up.
Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou Agree to Match
On Twitter, the UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones said:
“I’m hearing Francis Ngannou is still interested… now we’re talking. That’s a real super fight. A clash of champions, not just hype. He held the UFC belt, I’ve defended mine for over a decade. Two kings from different roads. Not just one legend facing a mouth that’s hot right now, but two real legacies colliding. That’s the kind of fight that actually adds something special to my story. At least from my point of view.”
The UFC lineal and PFL champion Francis Ngannou Responded:
“You take care of the UFC, I’ll take care of the PFL, and we’ll finally find out who’s the KING OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT. “
You take care of the UFC, I’ll take care of the PFL, and we’ll finally find out who’s the KING OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT.
https://t.co/Zz5XwjdFtF
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) June 7, 2025
Jones, fresh off a win against Stipe Miocic, was supposed to unify the belts with Aspinall. Instead, he’s been busy on X (formerly Twitter), throwing shade at Aspinall’s credentials and grappling skills – famously mocking the English black belt as “like getting a participation ribbon”. When pressed about fighting Aspinall, Jones quipped he’d win “by not even giving him the chance,” and gleefully dubbed himself “Duck boy” as he threatened to hand over the belt just to spite his fans.
Meanwhile, the MMA world is losing patience. A fan petition demanding Jones be stripped of his title has racked up over 185,000 signatures, proving that if Jones is trying to break records, he’s succeeding, in fan frustration.
Tom Aspinall, for his part, has been left in championship limbo. He defended his interim belt in spectacular fashion, but the elusive Jones has kept him waiting so long that Aspinall’s interim reign is now the longest in UFC history. Aspinall himself has started to sound like he’s waiting for a bus that might never come, even suggesting Jones is already retired and the UFC will soon have to make a decision about the division’s future.
Just when you thought the plot couldn’t thicken, Francis Ngannou’s coach revealed that “The Predator” is open to returning to the UFC. Jones immediately perked up, calling a fight with Ngannou a “real super-fight” and insisting it would do more for his legacy than facing Aspinall.
Jon Jones is teasing retirement, trolling his rivals, and flirting with a Francis Ngannou fight while Aspinall waits in the wings, interim belt gathering dust. Ngannou, meanwhile, is the lineal champion in exile, ready to return if the price (and the drama) is right.
For now, the heavyweight division remains in limbo, with fans, fighters, and even the UFC brass left guessing what Jon Jones will do next.
